My Story

The MiniMax Story

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by model yachts.

As a boy growing up in New Zealand in the 1970s, I devoured every model yachting magazine I

could get my hands on from the United Kingdom. At that time the great classes were boats such

as the Marblehead, 10 Rater and A Class. Radio control was still relatively new and exciting, and

the sport seemed full of possibilities.

Somewhere during those years I had a dream that never left me.

In the dream, people were racing tiny radio-controlled yachts. The boats were so small they could

be held in one hand. They sailed on very small courses and looked enormous fun. Decades later I

can still remember it.

The problem was that in the 1970s and 1980s the technology simply didn't exist.

The radios were too large. The servos were too large. The batteries were too large. The

manufacturing methods were too limited.

The idea remained in the back of my mind.

Over the following decades I became deeply involved in model yachting, particularly in

development and design work. I spent many years sailing and designing in a variety of classes

and became one of the early instigators of the Footy Class.

The Footy taught me a great deal.

It showed that very small yachts could be genuine sailing boats rather than toys. It also taught

me the unique challenges of small boats. Weight becomes critically important. Every gram

matters. Wind behaves differently. Water behaves differently. Small design decisions suddenly

become very important.

During this period I also developed what became known as the Mac Rig, a simple swing-rig

concept that remains widely used in Footys today.

Throughout all of this, the original dream never completely disappeared.

Every few years I would revisit the idea and ask the same question:

What is the smallest practical radio-controlled yacht?

Not the smallest possible yacht.

The smallest practical yacht.

A yacht that people could realistically build, transport, store and sail.

A yacht that would lower the barriers to entering radio sailing.

A yacht that would fit into modern life.

Eventually modern technology caught up with the dream.

Tiny digital servos became available. Lightweight lithium batteries became available. Affordable

CAD software became available. Most importantly, home 3D printing became widely accessible.

Suddenly the impossible became possible.

MiniMax is the result.

At only 220 mm long, MiniMax is probably close to the practical lower limit for a useful radio-

controlled sailing yacht. Smaller boats are possible—I have built and sailed boats down to 150

mm and even 100 mm—but very quickly the compromises become overwhelming.

MiniMax sits in a sweet spot.

Small enough to carry anywhere. Small enough to sail on tiny bodies of water. Large enough to

be a genuine sailing yacht.

Every aspect of the design has been developed with simplicity in mind.

The Mac Rig minimizes parts and rigging complexity.

The ballast system uses a simple stainless-steel rod available from almost any hardware store in

the world.

The hull opening is sealed with ordinary tape rather than a complicated hatch system.

Sails are cut using printable templates.

The goal has always been the same:

Simpler. Cheaper. Easier. Better.

The idea extends beyond the boat itself.

MiniMax was designed from the beginning as a globally accessible class. Builders can print boats

themselves or obtain kits from licensed builders. Future updates can be distributed instantly. The

class can grow without relying on a single manufacturer.

Most importantly, MiniMax is intended to bring people together.

Whether that means casual sailing, local fleets, youth programs, STEM education, club activities,

pond sailing, indoor sailing, or racing, the goal is the same:

To make sailing accessible.

To make it fun.

To create a boat that encourages participation rather than complexity.

Perhaps one day there will be MiniMax fleets all over the world.

Perhaps there will be national championships and world championships.

Or perhaps MiniMax will simply be a little boat that brings a smile to people's faces.

Either outcome is fine by me.

After all, this project began with a dream nearly fifty years ago.

MiniMax is simply the latest chapter in that story.

Fair winds,

Brett McCormack